A man who pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking heroin was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment, but a Libyan man who pleaded not guilty to importation was denied bail.

The two men were arraigned in court on charges related to drug trafficking on Saturday afternoon.

Joseph Cordina, 50, from St Venera was arrested on Friday morning when he was caught trafficking drugs in the whereabouts of the Marsa racecourse. He was charged with possession and trafficking of heroin and aggravated possession of cocaine in the past three months.

Cordina pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment and fined €4,000. All the money in his possession was confiscated.

Abdurahman Mohamed Abushiba, 27, from Libya was charged with association, importation and possession of heroin and possession of cannabis resin. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bail.

Abushiba was actually arrested at around 5pm on Friday, as he came into Malta on a flight from Tripoli. The 1.5 kg of heroin were hidden in a false compartment at the bottom of the suitcase.

This was another successful joint effort between the Customs Enforcement Unit and the Police. Both cases were heard before Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona.